Published by
William Hodge & Co., Glasgow
Williams & Norgate, London and Edinburgh
Abbotsford Series
of the
Scottish Poets
Edited by GEORGE EYRE-TODD
Glasgow: WILLIAM HODGE & CO
1892
Many of the best editions of the Scottish poets,even of recent date, increase the difficulties of archaiclanguage by such unnecessary stumbling-blocks asthe use of the old straight s, and of Anglo-Saxonsymbols for certain letters. Some even appear inthe added obscurity of Old English type. Andwhen these hindrances are not present, an irritatingpunctuation too often remains a barrier to allenjoyment. To these obstacles, as much, perhaps,as to the actual scarcity and costliness of the works,is to be attributed the popular neglect of a nobleheritage in recent years. In the present volume,as in the previous volumes of this series, an efforthas been made, while preserving the text intact inits original form, to improve in these respects uponthe readableness of previous editions. A runningglossary has, for the same object, been furnishedin the margin of each page. For practical perusalof the text, as poetry, it is believed that this arrangement,translating obsolete words, as it does, withouta break in the reading, is better than footnotes, ora glossary at the end of the volume. Few now-a-days,it is to be feared, save the most ardent students,can afford the time necessary for the elucidation by[vi]means of a dictionary even of so short a poem as“Chrystis Kirk on the Grene.”
While avoiding a burden of distracting comment,all necessary information, it is hoped, has beenincluded in the separate introductions.
All the poems not otherwise indicated are hereprinted entire; and in particular it may be pointedout that the four pieces attributed to King Jamesthe Fifth are now reproduced complete and togetherfor the first time since 1786.